White House issues new tip sheet for Obamacare consumers

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Noam N. LeveyThis post has been updated. See below for details.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is releasing a new tip sheet for Americans who have signed up for coverage under the president’s healthcare law and is urging consumers to be careful before they start using their new insurance Wednesday.

[Updated, 12:20 p.m. PST Dec. 31: Since Oct. 1, approximately 2.1 million people have enrolled in a private health plan through new marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, the administration announced Tuesday.

About an additional 4 million low-income Americans have qualified for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.]

Coverage is slated to start Jan. 1 for millions of Americans who don’t get health coverage through an employer and have selected a health plan through HealthCare.gov or similar state insurance marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act.

But the enrollment process that began Oct. 1 has been plagued by numerous problems, and medical providers and insurers are expecting significant confusion as Americans begin using their new insurance in January.